


Obsession

by live_love_draw_anime



Series: Nursery Rhymes [4]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Aomine is my baby, Gen, Insanity, Madness, but I like to make him cry, im sorry for doing this, lots of angst why do I do this to myself, precious cinnamon roll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-09 13:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5541053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/live_love_draw_anime/pseuds/live_love_draw_anime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Hey, hey, Aomine.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>  <em>...</em></p><p> </p><p>  <em>Are you crazy yet?</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	Obsession

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I'm still alive! I apologize greatly for taking 62763892 years to update the next one-shot but I ran into some complications...I'll explain in the end notes. For now, I hope you enjoy!

_Hey, hey, Aomine._

_..._

_Are you crazy yet?_

.

.

.

He viewed the world through hazy eyes. Blue irises sat imprinted in spiderwebbed, bloodshot sclera. Muted colors and dull shades of gray reflected flatly in the pupils as he blinked once, twice, three times.

Was he crazy yet?

He didn't know. He didn't know, he thought, staring up at the night sky peppered with sparkling stars, like paint on a canvas.

Their light didn't quite reach his eyes.

.

.

.

_'Twinkle twinkle little star'_

.

.

.

"Up, up, up!!!" Kise screeched in his ear the following morning. "Up Aominecchi, up!"

Aomine groaned, flinging his arm upwards towards the obnoxious blond, feeling gratified when he heard it smack satisfyingly against the side of his face. "Kiseee...shut up and let me sleep..."

"But _Aominecchi,_ " Kise stressed, his voice urgent. "Something has happened, something dreadful, awful, terrible!" He sounded near tears.

Sighing heavily into his pillow, Aomine unglued his eyes and blinked blearily at Kise, who knelt beside his bed in white flannel pajamas. "If it isn't worth my time, I'll make sure you regret waking me up."

"I-it's _Kurokocchi_ ," Kise wailed, shoving something in Aomine's face. "Y-yesterday, h, he died, Aominecchi, he _died_!"

"Eh...?" Aomine frowned. His head ached sharply. He needed to take his medicine. "What? Kuroko's been dead for a while, Kise. Go back to sleep."

Kise moaned, throwing himself over Aomine's prone form. The dark-skinned boy grunted as his dead weight slammed into his stiff legs. " _Ow_ Kise, what the hell?!"

Kise was openly sobbing now, sprawled out on top of Aomine, his arms flailing as Aomine struggled to fend him off. "Aominecchiiiii!!! He's deeeeeaaad!!!"

Aomine's head felt as if it were about to explode. His ears rang, Kise's noisy tears growing ever louder.

"Kise!"

His own voice sounded strangely detached.

.

.

.

_Are you crazy yet?_

.

.

.

The weight on Aomine suddenly disappeared. Aomine opened his eyes, unaware he'd even closed them.

Kise was sitting on his rear, staring wide-eyed up at Aomine. A swelling red spot blossomed on his cheek; a mark, Aomine realized, that hadn't been there before. "A-Aominecchi? Why did you hit me?"

Aomine only stared at him, speechless. His eyes traveled over Kise, finally coming to rest on his hand. His fist was curled tightly around a fuzzy blue object. Trails of cerulean cotton and fur drifted lazily in front of Aomine's face; it must have come loose from...whatever Kise was holding.

Kise slowly stood up, his golden irises watching Aomine's every move. "I-I just wanted to show you what happened to Kurokocchi," he began carefully, untucking the object from his vice grip. It was...a teddy bear paw?

Aomine swallowed heavily. "Get out Kise. Just get out."

Kise, for once silent, nodded obediently and crept from the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Aomine lunged for his medication, flipping through the colored tabs to find the right pill. He always got like this, he always got like this, always so violent and volatile, forgetful and absentminded...which pill was the right one...? Satsuki said...green? Or maybe blue?

He took a chance, swallowing down the blue pill with the assistance of a glass of water by his bed. His head pounded. His vision blurred.

.

.

.

_Are you crazy yet?_

.

.

.

He sat in the center of the court, clutching a thick rubber basketball. The surface was rough, comfortable in his hands that had not yet lost the callousness obtained from years of playing.

Lifting the ball slowly, he tossed it into the air, watching it soar upwards towards the net in a graceful arc. His eyes followed its path, the blue irises intense, burning, passionate...

Then it veered off course, its momentum broken. The ball plummeted towards the ground, and with a final bounce, came to rest back at his feet.

He stared down at the object, his eyes now vacant, empty. Leaning over his confined legs, he grasped its bumpy outer skin with his large hand and set the ball down in his lap.

When had he last played? What had his number been? The color of his uniform?

Was it a year ago? Maybe two? Had he been number four? Or was it five? Had he worn blue? Could it be black?

He couldn't even remember the names of his old teammates.

Aomine pretended his tears, trickling from his lowered face and glittering in the light of the sun, were stars.

.

.

.

_'How I wonder what you are'_

.

.

.

_Hey, hey, Aomine._

_..._

_Are you crazy yet?_

.

.

.

"Dai-chan! _Dai-_ chan!"

Aomine glanced at Satsuki, standing in his doorway in her neatly pressed white uniform. Her long pink hair was pulled up in a high pony tail, a few strands hanging loose and framing her pretty face.

Aomine sighed in annoyance. "Why are you always shrieking my name like some banshee, Satsuki," he drawled. "Can't you bother Kise right now?"

Satsuki scowled, marching over and whacking him over the head.

"Ow, _ow_!" He cried roughly, swatting at her hands. "You devil woman!"

"How many times have I warned you to speak to me respectfully, idiot?!" She snapped in response.

Aomine rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath he hoped she wouldn't hear. She heard, of course, and slapped him again. "Ah! Idio-I mean, Satsuki, quit!"

He leaned back as far as his wheelchair would allow him, cowering away from her blows. Satsuki huffed angrily and straightened her uniform. "If you'd let me speak now, there's something I need to tell you!"

Aomine frowned, rubbing his head. It _hurt_. That crazy woman was stronger than she looked. "What?"

"Kagami-kun would like to visit with you for a while," Satsuki informed him, smoothing her ponytail. "He wants to get to know you better, and frankly, I think it would do you some good to socialize."

"Who?" Aomine asked blankly. "Kagami?" His head throbbed. How hard had Satsuki hit him?

Satsuki lifted an eyebrow. "Kagami-kun, Dai-chan. The red head. You've met him."

"I..." Aomine trailed off. He had? "Yeah, I have! I remember now." He hoped he sounded convincing enough.

Satsuki looked dubious. "Dai-chan, have you been taking your medication?"

"Yes," Aomine lied quickly. "Of course."

Satsuki narrowed her eyes. She walked to his drawer, pulling it open and snatching his pill case. Flicking the lid up, she rapidly counted the small colored capsules. "Dai-chan."

Aomine groaned. "I hate taking those pills, Satsuki! They don't help at all. Especially lately, they've been giving me headaches and making me feel real bad..."

Satsuki sighed. "You need them, Dai-chan. They keep you from forgetting everything. They help you live normally--"

" _Normal?_ " Aomine snarled. "What about this is normal, Satsuki?! Why about _this_ \--" he gestured to his wheelchair, to the confining grey walls of The Institute, "--is normal?!"

Satsuki looked startled. "Dai-chan, I just meant that..."

"I don't care," he interrupted loudly. His head was on fire. "Never mind." Pushing past her, he wheeled out the door.

.

.

.

_Are you crazy yet?_

.

.

.

He sat amidst the flowers of the garden, the warm air calm and comforting. The small blossoms swayed gently in the artificial breeze, hypnotic in their movements.

One flower remained still.

Its petals were dry and wilted, its leaves dead and brown. The stem drooped, sagging in on itself. Its deadened form kept it still, gravity slowly pulling it towards the earth.

_It's me. That flower is just like me._

A hand settled on his shoulder, causing him to jump.

"Ah-sorry," the owner of the hand apologized. "Didn't mean to startle you."

He turned to see a tall red head with crimson eyes and the most open, honest face Aomine had ever seen. "It's okay..."

"I'm Kagami Taiga," the red head told him. "We've met already. You remember, right?"

Aomine snorted, turning away. "No." He wasn't in the mood to receive baby treatment from this guy. Thinking his rude behavior would turn Kagami off, he settled back into his original position.

Instead, Kagami knelt down at his side. "You like basketball, don't you?"

Aomine glanced at him. Where had that come from? "Yes..."

"I can help you play again."

The stars seemed especially bright that night.

.

.

.

_'Up above the world so high'_

.

.

.

"When you said you'd help me play," Aomine said through gritted teeth, "I didn't think you meant this."

He took another painful step with the crutches.

Kagami looked slightly amused. "Well, what did you think I meant? This is the best way, isn't it? If you learn to walk again, you'll eventually be able to play basketball. Two birds with one stone! Besides, the physical therapist I got for you is really good." He gestured towards the white-coated woman rifling through a stack of papers in the corner of the therapy room. She smiled and waved back.

Aomine took another step and collapsed, hissing. His brow dripped with sweat and his breath came in short, harsh pants.

Kagami nodded approvingly. "That's good! And think, this is only your first session."

Aomine snorted. "I took a grand total of three steps. Besides, this is _with_ crutches. It's useless unless I can walk on my own!"

Kagami didn't look bothered. "So? At least you won't have to be stuck in a wheelchair. You can't expect to walk immediately; things like this take time."

Shaking his head, Aomine struggled to his feet, gripping the crutches for support. He slid heavily back into his wheelchair, tossing the offending objects onto a table. "This is stupid. I'm leaving."

As he wheeled away, he felt the distant sensation of leaving something important behind.

.

.

.

_Hey, hey, Aomine._

_..._

_Are you crazy yet?_

.

.

.

Was he crazy yet? He thought so.

His hands shook in the darkness as he fumbled for his pill container. Cursing, he dropped the first few pills to the ground before finally obtaining a small blue capsule between his trembling fingers. Tipping his head back, he swallowed it down, gagging halfway through.

Ugh. His head ached. His entire body ached. Aomine sank his face into his hands miserably. What was he supposed to do? He felt terrible off the pills, he felt awful on them.

At least, a small voice in his head reminded him, at least they help you remember.

_At least--_

The stars floated before his eyes, ink blotted across a canvas of despair.  
.

.

.

_'Like a diamond in the sky'_

.

.

.

He approached him ruefully the next day, twisting his hands and mumbling as he spoke. Kagami listened earnestly.

"So, you still want to do it?"

Aomine nodded, his face warm. After the childish manner in which he'd left the physical therapy building yesterday, he was ashamed to reveal to Kagami that he'd changed his mind.

Kagami grinned in that stupid way of his, that look that filled Aomine with so much determination and hope. "Good choice. You won't regret it."

And Aomine knew he wouldn't.

.

.

.

_'Twinkle twinkle little star'_

.

.

.

"Absolutely _not_."

"But why? He's able to walk to some degree now, he's getting better..."

"He's violent, mentally unstable, reliant on medication, unpredictable...releasing him to the public would be an idiotic decision."

"So you're telling me that you're going to keep him locked up in this mental institute until he's old and grey?! The hell's with that?!"

"Calm down."

"No! He's getting better, he doesn't deserve this kind of life. Look, I've _seen_ the way the others here are, he's not like them! They really _are_ crazy, but he's only..."

"Amnesiac?"

"Well yeah, but it's not like every single amnesiac person is kept in an asylum!"

"He's more than just forgetful. He's _violent_ , I told you already. His mind is still messed up from the trauma he suffered a year ago."

"You mean a car accident or something? How would that make him violent?"

"Ahh... _no_. It was...abuse. He was beaten to the point of paralysis."

_"What?!"_

"Enough. It's not in your best interests to pry further. Don't you have duties to attend to?"

"Wait a sec, this is impor-"

"We're _finished_ here, Kagami-kun. Don't make me say it twice."

The soft breeze did nothing to clear the sky of the hazy clouds obscuring the stars.

.

.

.

_Hey, hey, Aomine._

_..._

_Are you crazy yet?"_

.

.

.

  
_"Daaaaikiiii."_

_The slur came from his father._

_"What's this I hear? You been gettin' into trouble again?"_

_He swallowed, slowly turning to face the tall, cloudy eyed man standing in his doorway. "No, Dad."_

_"S'not what I heard," came the drunken reply. "Whaddo I need with a son like you?"_

_He set his pencil down on his desk (he'd actually been doing his homework for once) and tried to stare evenly at his father's face. "I'm sorry."_

_His father scowled. "Soooo yer sorry now, whaddo ya think that's gonna do for you?" His breath stank._

_He bit his lower lip, unsure of how to respond. It was important to pick and choose his words carefully with this man. He subconsciously rubbed the still sore bruise on the back of his neck from the last time he'd spoken out of turn._

_"What do I go to work for? To support ungrateful animals like youuuu?" His father continued, swaying on his feet. "Go out and get a job. Quit with that basketball nonsense of yours. Noooo, don't tell me ya actually think yer any good. Don't tell me," his father hiccuped, "that ya actually think you can goooo places with somethin' like that?"_

_"I have a job," he reminded him steadily. "Part time though, because of basketball. And yeah, I do think I can go places with a sports career."_

_His father raised a condescending brow. "Idiot. You don't have talent." He spit in an ungraceful arc that landed on the carpeted floor. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he turned to leave. "Yer done with basketball."_

_"What?!"_

_"I saaaaid," his father snarled. "Yer done with that. I don't want you layin' hands on a ball. I catch you, yer dead."_

_"No." His voice came back hard and clear. "I'm not going to quit basketball."_

_His father's eyes widened almost comically. "You talkin' back?"_

_He clenched his fists at his sides. "You can't make me quit."_

_His father studied him for a moment before slugging him in the jaw. He recoiled, hissing in pain as he clutched his newest bruise. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to hit back as hard as he could, just as they did on every similar occasion, but..._

_No matter how much he wanted to, no matter how much pain could be avoided if he just fought back, he couldn't._

_Because this was his father, who when he was young, had taken him fishing with Satsuki, had laughed and joined in when he barehandedly caught crayfish, had previously watched every one of his basketball games without fail, had cried with him when his mother died._

_This was his father who had taken care of him, had only recently slipped into the unforgiving, unrelenting jaws of alcoholism, had only recently begun to act like a stranger._

_And because of all that, he unclenched his tightened fists and didn't resist as blows rained down on him from this man who looked like his father, over and over and over until his body was numb and his back was sending strange signals to his legs and his vision faded to blackness._

_._

_._

_._

_ARE YOU CRAZY YET??!!_

_._

_._

_._

He was unwell the next day. Anyone could see it.

Kagami poked his head in his room with a grin on his lips only to have it die as he stared at Aomine.

The dark-skinned boy sat hunched over in his wheelchair, his upper body trembling and his fingers locked around the arm rests. He didn't look up when Kagami entered.

"Aomine?" The red head asked tentatively. "Hey, what's up?"

Aomine only shook his head, bidding Kagami to stay away. His body was in agony, as if he was reliving the pain he'd suffered a year ago. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to move, it hurt to do anything. "I want to be alone right now."

"Hey, hey," Kagami said uneasily. "Don't kick me out. I need to make sure you're alright."

Aomine snapped up, his eyes glistening. _"I said,"_ he hissed out laboriously, _"I want to be alone right now."_

Instead of leaving, Kagami stepped closer, reaching out with his hand. "Hey. Look at me."

Aomine ignored him in favor of burying his face in his hands, his nails digging into his skin. His teeth sank into his lip, drawing blood.

"Talk to me," Kagami told him quietly. "Don't bottle it all in."

Aomine let out a muffled scream, a mix of pain and frustration. _"Stop giving me hope,"_ he growled out. "I-I can't stop reliving it. I can't. There's no escape for me. Nothing." His eyes were filled with anguish.

Kagami didn't ask any questions. Instead, he eased Aomine's hands from his face, pulling him into a warm, strong embrace.

Aomine resisted at first, pushing Kagami away, but the red head stubbornly held on tighter. It was then the dam broke. His strength faded and he slumped into Kagami's reassuring hold, wracking sobs escaping from his throat and hot tears soaking Kagami's shirt.

They sat there like that for a long time, until the stars appeared one by one in the sky, burning the brightest they'd ever burned.

.

.

.

_Hey, hey, Aomine._

_..._

_Have you found your sanity?_

.

.

.

He took the first step slowly, tentatively.

The second followed shortly after, a bit more confidently, and the third came as if naturally.

Satsuki was laughing and wiping her eyes on her sleeve and Kagami looked on with pride.

Aomine felt his own chest grow tight as he cast one last glance at his wheelchair tucked away in the corner of his room, where it would hopefully collect dust for a long, long time. He didn't need it anymore, though crutches were sometimes unavoidable. That too, would eventually change with time.

He was going to be released. It was almost like a dream, but in a few months, The Institute would be nothing more than a memory. Kagami and Satsuki had negotiated with the top brass, and they finally agreed to let him go on the conditions that he stayed awhile longer to stabilize his mental health and payed regular visits to a psychiatrist.

Aomine didn't mind. He was too relieved to care, happy that he would no longer be held in this place that rather than helped him forget his past, magnified it tenfold.

"So," Kagami's voice interrupted his thoughts. "What do you want to do first?"

Aomine turned to look at him, his lips curved upward in the first real smile he'd shown since arriving at The Institue.

"I want to play basketball."

.

.

.

_'How I wonder what you are'_

.

.

.

_Twinkle twinkle little star,_

_How I wonder what you are._

_Up above the world so high,_

_Like a diamond in the sky._

_Twinkle twinkle little star,_

_How I wonder what you are._

**Author's Note:**

> So about why this took me so long to release...  
> I began writing this one-shot right after Midorima's and half-way through I got major writers' block. I abandoned it for a while and constantly tried to think up the rest of the plot. Eventually I decided to just start over and rewrite it from scratch.  
> I began the next draft, finished it, read it over, and hated it. So I started over again. Finally, I finished it...I'm quite sick of it now to be honest, hehe...  
> Please drop a comment with your thoughts because I really can't tell if this is good or bad anymore!  
> One extra thing: I don't really ship Aokaga but I love them as really close buddies. My main ship is Aomomo, but I think in this fic Aomine needed the type of support Kagami's personality provided.


End file.
